Stott, Donald I

Donald I. Stott was born in 1920 to Bertless and Anna Stott who lived in Phoenixville , Pennsylvania. Donald was the third born of four children.

Donald attended Memorial Junior High School. This is the school in which the famed 1957 movie “The Blob”was filmed. It was refurbished and today is known as the Samuel K. Barkley Elementary School. After graduating from Memorial,

After schoo, Donald obtained employment with the BF Goodrich Company in Oaks.

Donald was drafted into service in the Army on February 4, 1942. He received training at Camp Wheeler, Georgia; Camp Atlantic, Florida and then Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania. He was assigned to the 26th Infantry (Blue Spaders) Regiment, 1st Infantry Division (Big Red One). This was the same division that Heroes Patsy DiDavid and George Ford served.

The 1st Division was sent overseas to England in July, 1942. Then Donald’s division participated in the landings at North Africa in November, known as Operation Torch. In February, Donald was involved in the Battle of the Kaserine Pass.

In July 1943, Donald’s division participated in the landings on Sicily.

Private Donald I. Stott was Killed In Action on July 10, 1943 in Italy. Donald’s parents received a telegram from the government August 21st, that he was Missing In Action as of July 10th, after his failure to report to his unit in Sicily for several weeks.

In April, 1944, his widow, Caroline, was informed that Donald was Killed In Action, based upon further details. Donald was on a landing craft which received a direct hit by a bomb.

Donald received the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart, and is remembered on the Tablets of the Missing in Action at the Sicily-Rome American Cemetery in Nettuno, Italy.Donald’s brother Edward was Killed in the war on July 2, 1945. His cousin, Hero James Derix died of wounds received in Normandy on July 7, 1944.
Donald and Edward's mother, Anna, died suddenly of a heart attack on July 28, 1944, shortly after learning that both of her sons had recently been killed in the war along with her nephew.